Speaker brings fresh approach to autism spectrum disorders

Kanelandâ€”Deborah Lipsky, the author of â€œManaging Meltdowns,â€ will speak at The Dynamic Child, an all-day workshop at Kaneland High School on Saturday, Feb. 20.

Lipsky has Aspergerâ€™s Syndrome, a high-functioning autism, but during the time she was growing up, no standardized category yet existed for that diagnosis. It is a tribute to her that, through her own determination, she overcame many odds and earned a masterâ€™s degree in counseling and education. She was finally diagnosed with Aspergerâ€™s Syndrome much later, at the age of 44.

Today Lipsky speaks nationally, presenting, with a large helping of humor, her own solutions and strategies for coping with autism. She prefers to look at autism as a cultural difference rather than a disorder. She has a way of helping her audience feel what it is like to be autistic. Her presentations work to bridge the gap between non-autistic and autistic individuals. It is her hope that she will help non-autistic persons understand and communicate more easily with those who have autism.

Lipsky draws on her many interests to help get her message across. She raises goats, donkeys, chickens and horses on her farm, is a licensed a wildlife rehabilitator, and participates in Civil War re-enactments.

For information or registration for the Dynamic Child, call Community Therapy Services at (630) 444-0077 or visit www.ctspediatrics.com.